10.20.2008

In Progress

The library downtown had a book sale this past weekend. I coordinated all of our errands around me being able to go to it. In the past I have stuck mostly to the inner area of the sale where all the novels are, and then as an afterthought peruse the outskirts of the tables. This time I bee-lined for the outer ring where they keep odd shaped books and out of date encyclopedias, atlases, and Audubon books. Each book was a dollar, and kids books were 5 for a dollar. It was so exciting. I was looking for books to cut up and use in my art, and I honestly feel like I hit the jackpot. At one point I saw this girl flipping through the atlas of my dreams. It was big and had lots of lists of places in alphabetical order, and graphs. She looked through it for about 3 minutes while I drooled and tried to look uninterested and busy next to her. When she put it back it took all my willpower not to cheer. So I spent ten dollars and came back with a box full of books that are ready to find a new purpose!

p.s. I do have a little guilt ripping into an intact book, even if it is outdated. It is something I struggle with. Does anyone else feel this way?

5 comments:

I love books..old and new...but particularly old yellowed ones.....because the age of it tells a story of its own...you know many people perhaps have read and loved these images, words, stories, poems....whatever the book was about...I do altered books and so it too sends little pangs of guilt when I rip pages out and alter them....but I do it anyway, as they are sometimes beckoning me to do so....or maybe that is just the rationalization talking...I read somewhere that the Monks centuries ago used recycled books to alter into illuminated manuscripts...somehow, I get the feeling many people love old books this way, make them into something new or use them for another lovely purpose..in the end I think it is all good...but I totally can relate....

As a librarian, I can assure you that giving old books new life is SOOOO much better than their other fate of heading to the transfer station! I HATE to see old books just thrown away... I'd much rather see them be re-used and re-loved by someone like yourself.

I want to plant a little garden with you now.take care of a piece of the earth somehow. and tend it when we're old and gray, and try and straighten up and say "I'm so happy to see you today"hey baby, hey baby, hey.~Greg Brown.